Side sill for railway vehicle

ABSTRACT

A side sill arrangement in which a first channel member which forms a part of a side frame is joined to a second channel member which forms a part of the underframe assembly. The joined channel members form a hollow side sill beam assembly which extends longitudinally of the railway car to function as a strengthening member having sufficient strength to eliminate the need of a through car center sill. The formed beam includes hollow portions used to conceal fasteners which attach internal members thereby rendering the side sill with a smooth unobstructed outside surface permitting it to be used as an external member without additional covering.

United States Patent ONeill [54] SIDE SILL FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE [72]Inventor: Thomas J. ONeill, Evergreen Park, Ill.

[73] Assignee: Pullman Incorporated, Chicago, Ill.

[22] Filed: June 1, 1970 211 Appl. No.2 42,399

[52] US. Cl. 5....105/418, 52/282, 52/731 [51] Int. Cl ..B6Id 17/08 [58]FieldofSearch ..52/282, 281,45,264,265, 52/731; 105/418 [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,814,997 12/1957 Deam ..105/418 3,540,38411/1970 Charles ..105/418 l8 l9 2i:

[ 1 Feb. 15,1972

Primary Examiner-Price C. Faw, Jr. Att0meyl-lilmond O. Vogel and WayneMorris Russell ABSTRACT A side sill arrangement in which a first channelmember which forms a part of a side frame is joined to a second channelmember which forms a part of the underframe assembly. The joined channelmembers form a hollow side sill beam assembly which extendslongitudinally of the railway car to function as a strengthening memberhaving sufficient strength to eliminate the need of a through car centersill. The formed beam includes hollow portions used to conceal fastenerswhich attach internal members thereby rendering the side sill with asmooth unobstructed outside surface permitting it to be used as anexternal member without additional covering.

PATENTEBFEB is 1912 INVENTOR THOMAS J. O'NEIL L ATT'Y.

SIDE SILL FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This inventionrelates to an improved side still arrangement for use in railwaypassenger vehicles and it is a principal object of the present inventionto provide an improved strength twopart side sill which will supportcrossmembers and provide sufficient structural strength to a railwaypassenger car to thereby eliminate the need for a center sill. Thepresent side sill consists of an integral combination of two sidemembers, one initially assembled with the side frame assembly and asecond channel member initially assembled with and part of theunderframe assembly.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a novel side sillarrangement in the form of a hollow beam extending longitudinally of thecar and having sufficient strength to resist horizontal and verticalloading normally encountered in car operation and testing.

It is another object of this invention to provide an extruded side sillmember having depending horizontal portions which maybe utilized inattaching and supporting transverse members.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a side sillarrangement which includes hollow web portions which are utilized toconceal fastening devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a railwaycar underframe with a central portion removed; and

FIG. 2 is an enlarged section view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1 withthe car side frame assembled to the underframe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings and in particular toFIG. 1, there is illustrated a railway passenger car body supportingstructure which includes end sills 11, stub draft sills l2 and laterallyextending bolsters 13. A coupler (not shown) is mounted in each of thedraft sills l2 and extends therefrom. The bolsters 13 extendtransversely of the car and are connected to the side sills '14 and thestub sill 12 to transmit coupier forces through the side sills 14. Nocenter sill is used. Cross supports 14a, having a Z-shape, extendoutward at the stub sill 12 to the side sill 14 and are used to attachthe subfloor sheets l4b,14c and to connect the longitudinally extendingsupport bars 15. An end plate 15a is attached as by weldment to theoutside ends of the cross supports 14a and used for attaching the crosssupport-14a to the side sill 14 as by fastener 15b. The car bodyincludes a sidewall or side frame assembly 16, a roof structure (notshown) and an underframe of floor unit 17. There is a side frameassembly 16 on each side of the car and extending longitudinallythereof. The underframe unit 17 and the roof (not shown) extend from onesidewall to the other. In assembly the sidewall units are movedlaterally inward and connected with the floor underframing 17, then theroof unit is connected to the top portions of the sidewall units.

Referring now to FIG. 2, the wall assembly 16 includes: exterior sidesheets 18; longitudinally spaced Z-shapedside posts 19 having flangeportions 19a, 19b; interior sheeting members 20 and the first channelmember 21. The side sheet 18 and the inside sheeting 20 are welded tothe flanges 19a, 19b of the side posts '19 as by weldments at 21a, 21b.The first channel member 21 includes a continuous stepped or cutoutportion 22 to receive the-side sheet 18 and thereby produce a smoothconnection between two members 18, 21. A second sheet member 21c isspaced inboard of the sheet 20 to provide a duct 21d for-a heatingelement. The sheet member 21c is supported by the anglebracket 21e. Atop flange 23 is used to secure the channel member to the side posts 19and includes a vertically depending lip portion 24 which is used inalignment and attachment of the first channel member 21 to theunderframe assembly 17. Channel member 21 includes an arcuate portion'25extending downward from the cutout 22 and terminating in a connectionwith the outside lower depending vertical web portion 26. A lowerhorizontal depending flange portion 27 extends from the vertical webportion 26 and is utilized for alignment and attaching purposes.

The floor unit or underframe assembly 17 includes: laterally extendingZ-shaped crossbearers 28, 29, separated by a car width metal subfloorsheet 19a; a car width flooring assembly 30 including a tile or rubbertop 30a; metal sheets 30b, 30c; wood panel 30d; and a secondlongitudinally extending channel member 31. Between the subfloor sheet290 and the metal sheet 30c is an enclosed airspace which may be filledwith insulation to improve soundproofing and thermally insulate the car.The channel member 31 includes an upper flange 32, an intermediateflange 33, and a lower or bottom flange 34. Connecting the upper flange32 and intermediate flange 33 is a vertical web portion 35. Theintermediate flange 33 is connected to the bottom flange 34 by diagonalportions 35a, 35b, 35c; and by vertical web portions 36, 36a, 36b.Longitudinally spaced drainage means 37 are included in the secondchannel member 31.

The car underframe assembly 17 is assembled as a unit and is fastened tothe sidewall assembly 16 which is also assembled as a separate unit.Assembly of the two units 16, 17 is simplified and facilitated by theside sill channel members 21 and 31 which are positioned in abuttingrelation as illustrated in FIG. 2 and then securely fastened as byweldments W and fasteners 40. Exterior welds and seams are burnishedsmooth to leave no evidence of fabrication. Four points of contact 41,42, 43, 44 are provided for assembly purposes thereby simplifying theassembly and welding of the two units 16, 17. When the two channelmembers 21 and 31 are securely fastened they form the car side sillwhich is a hollow beamlike supporting structure extending longitudinallyof the car which will function to resist horizontal, vertical and otherloads applied to the car and also eliminate the need for a center sill.The hollow portions 45, 46 formed upon assembly of the two channelmembers provide a space for concealing fasteners 15b, 48 which are usedto attach transversely extending underframe members such as bolsters 13,end sills 11 or other members. The integrally formed flanges and offsetportions of the extruded channels 21, 31 provide surfaces for mountingand attaching various members. The ease of manufacturing extrudedaluminum channel members and the various cross sections which areafforded has eliminated the need for welding together individual flatsheet or rolled pieces and thereby a more economical lightweight sidesill has resulted.

The foregoing description and drawings merely explain and illustrate theinvention and the invention is not limited thereto, except insofar asthe appended claims are so limited, as those skilled in the art who havethe disclosure before them will be able to make modifications andvariations therein without departing from the scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a center-sill-less railway vehicle having a sidewall assembly anda floor assembly including crossbearers and floor members, said sidewallassembly including side sheets, sidewall posts and a longitudinallyextending first channel member, a second longitudinally extendingchannel member along the outside margin of said floor assembly, saidfirst and said second channel members being provided with horizontal andvertical mating portions, said mating portions being used said secondchannel member including top, intermediate and lower flange portions andhaving spaced drain means extending vertically through openings in saidtop and said intermediate flange portions.

4. The invention according to claim 1 and said first channel memberhaving an upper, outer, curved portion having a cutout end portion andsaid side sheets having a bottom portion received in said cutout portionresulting in a smooth joint between the sheet and the first channelmember.

5. The invention according to claim 1, and

said second channel member including transversely inwardly extendingflange portions being used in fastening and supporting said crossbearersand said floor members.

6. The invention according to claim 5, and

said inwardly extending flange portions being continuous along thelength of said second channel member.

7. in a railway passenger vehicle having spaced end sills connectedthrough a stub center sill to an inwardly spaced body bolster, andhaving a sidewall assembly and a floor assembly, a side sill including:

extruded means extending longitudinally of said vehicle between said endsills and attached to said end sills and to said bolsters,

upper and lower flange portions being connected by vertically extendingweb portions to thereby define a beam means providing vertical strengthto said extruded means,

laterally extending flange portions depending from said verticalportions and said flange portions imparting transverse beam strength tosaid extruded means.

8. The invention according to claim 7, and

said laterally extending flange portions extending inward of saidvehicle and being used for supporting and attachment of said floorassembly.

9 The invention according to claim 7, and

said laterally extending flange portions having spaced drain meansextending vertically therethrough.

10. The invention according to claim 7, and

said side sill including a first channel member attached to saidsidewall assembly and a second channel member attached to said floorassembly,

said first and said second channel members being secured together toform said beam means.

11. The invention according to claim 7, and

said side sill including hollow portions formed between said verticallyextending web portions and said laterally extending flange portionsthereby forming a hollow beam structural member possessing integralstrength to resist horizontal and vertical loading.

12. The invention according to claim 1 l, and

said hollow portions being utilized to conceal fasteners used inattaching said floor assembly.

1. In a center-sill-less railway vehicle having a sidewall assembly anda floor assembly including crossbearers and floor members, said sidewallassembly including side sheets, sidewall posts and a longitudinallyextending first channel member, a second longitudinally extendingchannel member along the outside margin of said floor assembly, saidfirst and said second channel members being provided with horizontal andvertical mating portions, said mating portions being used both inaligning the sidewall assembly with the floor assembly and connectingthe sidewall assembly to the floor assembly, said connected channelmembers forming a hollow beam structural member of side sill having:first and second hollow portions defining beam portions which impartstrength to the combined channel members, and having laterally, inwardlyextending flange portions providing mounting and attaching surfaces forsaid crossbearers and said floor members.
 2. The invention according toclaim 1, and said first and said second channel members each comprisinga one-piece extruded construction.
 3. The invention according to claim1, and said second channel member including top, intermediate and lowerflange portions and having spaced drain means extending verticallythrough openings in said top and said intermediate flange portions. 4.The invention according to claim 1, and said first channel member havingan upper, outer, curved portion having a cutout end portion and saidside sheets having a bottom portion received in said cutout portionresulting in a smooth joint between the sheet and the first channelmember.
 5. The invention according to claim 1, and said second channelmember including transversely inwardly extending flange portions beingused in fastening and supporting said crossbearers and said floormembers.
 6. The invention according to claim 5, and said inwardlyextending flange portions being continuous along the length of saidsecond channel member.
 7. In a railway passenger vehicle having spacedend sills connected through a stub center sill to an inwardly spacedbody bolster, and having a sidewall assembly and a floor assembly, aside sill including: extruded means extending longitudinally of saidvehicle between said end sills and attached to said end sills and tosaid bolsters, upper and lower flange portions being connected byvertically extending web portions to thereby define a beam meansproviding vertical strength to said extruded means, laterally extendingflange portions depending from said vertical portions and said flangeportions imparting transverse beam strength to said extruded means. 8.The invention according to claim 7, and said laterally extending flangeportions extending inward of said vehicle and being used for supportingand attachment of said floor assembly.
 9. The invention according toclaim 7, and said laterally extending flange portions having spaceddrain means extending vertically therethrough.
 10. The inventionaccording to claim 7, and said side sill including a first channelmember attached to said sidewall assembly and a second channel memberattached to said floor assembly, said first and said second channelmembers being secured together to form said beam means.
 11. Theinvention according to claim 7, and said side sill including hollowportions formed between said vertically extending web portions and saidlaterally extending flange portions thereby forming a hollow beamstructural member possessing integral strength to resist horizontal andvertical loading.
 12. The invention according to claim 11, and saiDhollow portions being utilized to conceal fasteners used in attachingsaid floor assembly.